1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to vehicles, and more particularly, to a car management system and method when a vehicle is shared among multiple users.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle keys can be used to lock and unlock the vehicle, start the engine of the vehicle, and so forth. Typical keys for vehicles are physical keys that can lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle by being inserted into a key hole formed next to the door handle of the door, or to start or stop the engine by being inserted into a key hole formed inside the vehicle. Additionally, the use of remote-control typed keys using short range wireless communication, referred to as “smart keys,” has been on the rise recently.
There may typically be multiple keys provided to a driver when a vehicle is purchased. Since there are regulations on reproduction of the car keys, if more keys are wanted, the reproduction of the keys needs to go through a separate, complicated authentication (certification) process.
If a single vehicle, e.g., a family car, is shared among several family members, the limitation on the number of keys for the vehicle may cause an inconvenience. Additionally, in a case of a car rental business with several customers, or a case of a business car that may be used by many people in a company, management of the keys for such cars becomes very difficult.